That’s me during one of our freestyle performances throughout the week. Kevin Couliau photo.
Kevin Lescot a.k.a. “Da Phenomenom” averaged 10+ woofs a game. Here he wows the crowd during a Slam Nation exhibition. Kevin Couliau photo.
From Sept. 12-16, I took part in the Basketball Federation of Spain’s 1st ever “Streetbasket” exhibition in conjunction with the “Eurobasket ‘07″ Championships. The attendance totals were the country’s highest ever for an outdoor b-ball event! The players came from Africa, France, Germany, Holland, Spain, and NYC (that’d be me). I wrote a complete story on my experience that will print in our upcoming November release of Bounce Magazine issue #13. For now, enjoy the photos, peep Reverse Magazine’s Kevin Couliau’s blog www.asphalt-chronicles.com or Syra Sylla’s www.diabaly.com/BasketSquare/BS07presentation.htm
These lovely people were so amped they cheered for us even during warm-ups.
An estimated 100,000 fans gathered in Plaza Colon to watch the Spain vs. Russia final outdoors on huge TV screens.
We practiced every morning in this field house from the ’50s, then in the evening would hit Plaza Colon to play in front of the crowd. That was two-a-days for a week straight. My legs felt it! My man Kevin Couliau from Reverse Magazine is above doing the cha cha cha split.
China’s “Showtime” was a beast on the freestyle reams!
Joan of www.streetballstyle.com in Spain was one of the players from the crowd that would be invited to play against us everday. Pictured in the middle is announcer Barbas, to the right is “Da Phenomenom.”
My favorite squad from the crowd. These dudes had heart.
(L-R) Raul Barrigon of Gigantes Basket Magazine, Antonio Gil of www.basketpasion.com, y photographer Emilio.
DJ Canzer played enough classic Nas all week to have a brother smiling all night! Word! Plus he repped mi isla en su pecho. Shout out to DJ Tai, too, who bugged me out when he threw on the Jaz’ 1990 classic “Originators!” It was the first song Jay-Z ever appeared on. Wow.
Germany’s streetball star Paul Gudde a.k.a. Dime P with two devout “Streetbasket” attendees.
Mil gracias a todo, incluyendo “Whatever,” Kadour Ziani, Boramy, Diego, “Boogeyman,” “Yong C,” “Dime P,” “Milky Way,” “The Lawyer,” “JDL,” “Phenomenom,” “Biz Banaka,” “Ooste,” and everyone else out there. Mad love, yo. Word.
September 21st, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Sean Couch says:
Did he make that dunk? Bob, how big is the playground around the world???????
September 22nd, 2007 at 1:06 am
Antonio says:
HEY!!
Thanks for everything Bob. It was crazy!!
Hope see you soon.
Paz, primo.
September 22nd, 2007 at 1:45 am
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
sean-
he absolutely made that dunk, like 20 times throughout the week and in games! the court we ran on was a little bit longer than west 4th st. i hit a jumper in one game a 1/2 step in after crossing the halfcourt line. but in a figurative sense, the playground is as large as we imagine it to be around the world. we are growing and growing. siempre pa’lante, nunca pa’tras (always forward, never backwards)
antonio! thanks for putting the youtube links up on http://www.basketpasion.com! hot!
September 25th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Antonio says:
Hey Bob! We put a direct link to Bouncemag.com in our website.
Keep in touch, man!
PAZ!
September 26th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Barrigon says:
he he you liked my AF1 Mexico… Hope you had a good time hangin’&dribbling’ in Madrid!!!!!
good luck on all your stuff.
Ciao, TRONCO!!!!
October 13th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
boramy says:
Hey Bobbito!!!
big up from madrid city! we need to do that again!
the show, the games, parties…
keep it real B
October 14th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
boramy!
let me know the time and place, and i’m there. word.